Author: George Malik

From today’s “The Word on Woodward” come a pair of interviews, first, Daniella Bruce and Art Renger’s 10-minute interview with Troy Stetcher…

And second, Regner’s interview with Mike Vernon:

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a profile of Red Wings 2020 draft pick Kyle Aucoin, discussing the young defenseman’s pluses and minuses as the son of long-time NHL defenseman Adrian Aucoin:

Like his dad, Kyle is also a defenseman. But there aren’t a ton of similarities. For one, Adrian’s 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame towers over Kyle’s 5-foot-11, 163-pound body. Both father and son are outstanding skaters, with that skill one of Kyle’s particular strengths, and each has been known for his puck handling abilities.

But there is one difference, at least for now: Adrian had one of the hardest shots in the NHL in the late-1990s and early 2000s.

“He had a real hard shot,” said Kyle, who was able to work out with his dad and brothers at home in Illinois during the quarantine this year. “I’m working to get there. I’d say I’m a two-way defenseman and my biggest strength is my skating. I think the game pretty well and I’m smart on the ice.”

If Kyle Aucoin has half the career his father had, the Wings would be thrilled with that, and Kyle would as well.  And given Kyle’s attributes and development, don’t be surprised if the younger Aucoin does land in professional hockey eventually.

Kris Draper, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting, saw plenty of Aucoin while watching and coaching his own son Kienan in the Little Caesars program, against Aucoin’s Chicago Mission.

“I’ve watched Kyle over the years and he’s a smart, competitive kid,” Kris Draper said. “It’s funny when you hear that his dad had a growth spurt when he was 18, 19, so we hope Kyle gets that as well. He’s just a terrific skater, a real competitive kid.”

Continued

A family friend of the Blashills is battling cancer as the NHL places its considerable fundraising weight behind Hockey Fights Cancer this month, and DetroitRedWings.com’s Josh Berenter spotlights Christa Kasapis’ fight against the disease today:

While the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative will look a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight against cancer and need for early detection awareness is as important as ever.

That message rings especially true for Northville resident Christa Kasapis, who is in remission because of early detection, and she urges everyone during Hockey Fights Cancer Month in November-and throughout the whole year-to get screened and check themselves for abnormalities.

“Your health is No. 1. If you have any concerns at all or any abnormalities or anything that feels off, don’t hesitate,” Kasapis said. “That’s what our medical professionals are there for. Definitely always follow up, make it a priority.”

Kasapis, who is a close family friend of Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and his wife, Erica, is one of the many cancer patients, survivors and caretakers the Red Wings are honoring as part of Hockey Fights Cancer Month throughout November, in partnership with the American Cancer Society and Comerica Bank.

Continued; the Red Wings have a Hockey Fights Cancer page that’s accessible here.

MLive’s Ansar Khan wonders aloud when the NHL season will start this season, and as such, when the Red Wings will be able to start practicing and preparing for an extended training camp as one of the seven teams that did not participate in “bubble hockey” this past summer:

The NHL said last month that the season will not begin before Jan. 1. Many, including Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, believe the season is not likely to start before February, and that it will consist of 48 or 56 games.

“It looks like we’ll be able to come up with some type of plan,” Yzerman said. “I don’t know specifically what that is, and then kind of keep my fingers crossed that things don’t go sideways again and we’re not able to play.”

Yzerman noted that travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada could have an effect. Some have speculated the league forming an all-Canadian division and multiple regional divisions in the U.S.

Yzerman is not concerned about players not being prepared following the long layoff.

“Players are skating, it’s not game-like situations but they’ll get it back relatively quickly,” he said. “I don’t know what training camp is going to look like, don’t know how many preseason games we play, if any, but from watching the playoffs, guys being out from March to late July, the first few games were sloppy, but after three, four, five games you saw the guys looking pretty good. I’m hopeful that our guys are all conscientious and motivated and self-disciplined and I believe they are.”

Continued

Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek registered a goal and an assist in the Czech Republic’s 3-1 win over Sweden at the Karjala Cup today. After the game, he spoke with Hokej.cz’s Adam Bagar regarding his performance, and here’s a rough translation of the interview:

“I hit it right,” Hronek says. By the end, he wasn’t as fresh anymore

Last week he practiced on the outdoor rink in Dobris. Now, after a long silence between games, he hopped on the ice for the Karjala Cup against the Swedes and did great. Defenseman Filip Hronek made a significant contribution to the winning premiere of coach Filip Pesan. He contributed two points to the victory of the Czech national team, which won 3-1 over the Swedes.

“It was something other than dryland training,” smiled the defnseman, who went into action for the first time since September 29th, when he helped HK Mountfield win with a goal and an assist to take a 6-1 decision away against Olomouc. “But it was pretty cool; I wasn’t that fresh by the end of the game,” he admits.

Ferris State University posted a few more details regarding this month’s virtual fundraising gala, which is hosted by Red Wings coach and Ferris State alumnus Jeff Blashill:

Ferris State University alumnus and Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill will serve as the master of ceremonies for The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit, a virtual celebration set for introduction during the first week of November via social media.

Kim Erickson, the administrative assistant for The Ferris Foundation, said that with the 2020 Benefit being conducted virtually, rather than the typical large-venue gathering, Associate Vice President for External Relations Jeremy Mishler suggested Blashill as the event’s master of ceremonies. The schedules matched. The National Hockey League’s 2019-20 season concluded on Monday, Sept. 28. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he expects the 2020-21 season to begin on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

“We were glad to have Jeff Blashill’s contribution of time and talent to this event,” Erickson said of Blashill, a 1998 graduate of Ferris’ College of Business and a former Bulldog goaltender and assistant coach. “Our videographer Hannah Crouch joined Jeremy in a visit to Detroit to gather Jeff’s segments. Having his support would be next to impossible for a typical Foundation Benefit, because of his obligations to the Red Wings and the demands of their schedule.”

If you’re interested in lending a charitable hand, you can do so here, and here’s Ferris State’s “video teaser” for the charity drive:

Grand Rapids Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser speaks with former Griffins forward Adam Keefe, who now coaches the Belfast Giants, for approximately 20 minutes:

The Red Wings’ twice-weekly webcast, “The Word on Woodward,” will air today at 12 PM EST. No “word” as to who will appear on the program with Daniella Bruce, Carley Johnston and birthday boy Art Regner, but that information should be released shortly.

Update:

The #WordOnWoodward is live from 12-2!! Head over to the @DetroitRedWings and @tigers Facebook, YouTube, or websites. Today we’ll be joined by Nate Robertson, @Dan_Dickerson, @beckjason, @troystecher, Mike Vernon, and more!!! Oh AND it’s @ArthurJRegner Birthday!!!!— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) November 5, 2020

In the opening game of the Karjala Tournament in Helsinki, Filip Hronek played a large role in the Czech Republic’s 3-1 win over Sweden.

Hronek scored a goal, added an assist and was on the ice for all three Czech goals.

Here’s Hronek’s goal, from Here’s Your Replay and Antonj85 on Twitter:

Ripped it!
? Filip Hronek PP #LGRW
1-0 CZE pic.twitter.com/R0M2Yc9aqs

— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) November 5, 2020

Filip Hronek gör 1-0 till Tjeckien. #Karjala #DRW #LGRW #RedWings pic.twitter.com/BZtsTkN2eO

— Anton (@antonj85) November 5, 2020

Hronek played on the Czechs’ second defensive pair, and he finished at +1; Jonatan Berggren made his Swedish National Team debut in the loss, and he finished “even.”

Coming up: Sweden will play Russia on Saturday, while the Czechs will play Finland. Again, the Swedish World Junior Selection Camp in Finland has been canceled due to two coronavirus cases on the Swedish team.

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. SportsLogos.net’s Chris Creamer and Todd Radom have published a new book called Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL’s Names, Logos and Uniforms, and both authors weighed in as to their favorite NHL team logos while speaking with The Score’s Nick Faris:

Detroit Red Wings: As with the Bruins, Creamer applauds Detroit for riding with the same logo through the eras. Save for the occasional cosmetic update, no one has touched or sullied the winged wheel that Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidstrom each sported in turn.

Longevity is one thing, but how’s this for added historical significance: Detroit’s famous emblem is a tribute to the first winners of the Stanley Cup, the amateur Montreal Hockey Club’s “Winged Wheelers.” That outfit lifted the chalice in 1893, a full 115 years before the Red Wings celebrated the most recent of their 11 titles.

“To me, that alone – the history attached to it, to the origins of hockey – make it one of the greatest logos in the NHL,” Creamer said.

2. And ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski gave praise to Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman for his work in signing Anthony Mantha to a 4-year, $22.8 million contract:

Winner: Steve Yzerman

He got Anthony Mantha done for four years and $5.7 million AAV, on a back-loaded contract ($13 million in the last two seasons) and with no trade protection. So the Detroit Red Wings GM secured a good player at a solid cap number, and has the flexibility to move him in his prime. And that’s why he’s Steve Yzerman.